A UK city is set to be transformed by a £450 million project. “Outdated and underused” buildings in Coventry are to be demolished and replaced by a brand new development. The first phase of these works includes the demolition of a former Argos building in City Arcade and the Barracks multi-storey car park, and construction is set to start later this year. Officials say that, once complete, the City Centre South scheme will provide up to 1,575 new homes, and a mix of studio to three-bedroom apartments designed to suit a “diverse community of residents”.
Plans suggest that the first phase will deliver 991 of these homes, alongside 8,000 square metres of new commercial space for shops, hospitality and businesses, and 17,000 square metres of “public open space”. Designed by architects Allies and Morrison, the project aims to introduce “pedestrian-friendly” spaces, located just a five-minute walk from the city’s railway station.
Coventry destroyed during WW2
Coventry was largely rebuilt after the Second World War, during which it was battered by Luftwaffe bombing raids.
The West Midlands city was targeted because it was a vital engineering and armament centre.
On the night of November 14-15 1940, 515 German bombers dropped munitions, intending to destroy Coventry’s industrial infrastructure.
The city’s iconic cathedral was mostly destroyed, and its remnants still stand alongside a new building opened in 1962 by Elizabeth II.
Fans of the city’s football team, Coventry City, still sing: “You want a cathedral? We’ve got one to spare”.
Coventry is today twinned with the German city of Dresden, which itself was hit by allied bombers in four raids in February 1945.
The operation resulted in the destruction of more than 6.5 square kilometres of the city centre, and up to 25,000 people are thought to have been killed.
Post-war, architect Donald Gibson focused on creating a modern city centre in Coventry, complete with pedestrian zones, wide avenues, and green spaces.
The city has since become known for its Brutalist architecture, a style that emphasises functional design and uses raw concrete.
This 14-story brutalist build, Coventry Point, is marked for demolition to make way for the City Centre South development.
It has reportedly been described as the “ugliest” building in Coventry.
